Next, I’m standing in an unfamiliar forest, the trees are enormous, their trunks silver-veined and warm beneath my palms as my hand rests on the bark of a tall tree.
The ground is soft, with moss that glows faintly blue, lighting my path without shadows.
I take a deep breath, allowing the earthy scent of the moss and trees to calm my nerves. As I walk, my feet instinctively follow a narrow path.
I barely notice meandering through the forest, the familiarity of the terrain guiding me without conscious thought.
“You came faster this time.”
The voice rolled through the clearing like distant thunder, but it was gentle, deep, and layered. My heart skips a beat, a ripple of awareness spreading through my limbs, grounding me to the earth.
Even though I knew instinctively that Bey's presen
